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Families

Gus’ Journey Through Cancer

Gus’ Journey Through Cancer

by | Jul 6, 2021

Gus, my 4-year-old son, was chasing me down the stairs on our way to the basement for our early morning workout. This particular morning, Gus jumped from the stairs onto the floor and took an extra step. Something seemed off, but he didn’t complain after he landed, so we moved on with our day. That afternoon, Gus complained about pain in his leg when his mom, Heidi, picked him up from preschool. But by that evening, he was running around again. The following morning, he was limping, though not complaining, but by night he had a low-grade fever and intense leg pain. DIAGNOSIS The next morning, Heidi took Gus to Urgent Care, and after an X-ray, they were immediately sent to the Children’s Hospital. After 24 long hours and some preliminary imaging, Heidi and I were told by a seasoned diagnostic radiologist that he was 98% sure Gus had a bacterial infection in his leg. The radiologist...

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Cleaning Out the Medicine Cabinet

Cleaning Out the Medicine Cabinet

by | May 12, 2021

17 BOTTLES A few weeks ago, I cleaned out the medicine cabinet. That doesn’t sound super exciting, I know, but I threw away 17 bottles of expired chemotherapy and cancer related medications. Last year, these bottles were strung out across our counter at all times ready to be administered to my daughter Lexy every 4-12 hours. A lot has changed in a year. BACK TO “THAT” PLACE I’ve been reminded that fear can strike at any time. I had tried to clean the medicine cabinet after Lexy’s port removal surgery. That was months ago. These bottles were something I just couldn’t get rid of. Like some kind of crazy cancer superstition. But then I noticed seeing the bottles was hard—not only for me, but for Lexy. They took us back to “that” place. A piece of it always stays with you. You never forget seeing your child gasp for air or the sound of the alarm notifying everyone she is in distress. You...

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Rally’s Counseling Program: Healing Childhood Cancer Families on Their Journey to the Bell

Rally’s Counseling Program: Healing Childhood Cancer Families on Their Journey to the Bell

by | Apr 28, 2021

The childhood cancer journey takes an emotional and psychological toll on the whole family. For this second post in the Journey to the Bell blog series, I had the privilege of speaking to Rally Kid Briley’s mom about the positive impact of Rally’s Counseling Program. Briley was 7 when she was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia—the most common type of blood cancer found in kids. Her diagnosis date of April 11, 2018 was also her brother’s 11th birthday. Even though Briley finished treatment in September 2020, that does not mean she or her family members are back to their normal lives. Briley’s mother, Brigitte, describes her daughter as the perfect patient who never complained and always put on a brave face when asked how she was doing. Briley has a more reserved personality, and it is often challenging for her to express her true feelings. Early in Briley’s cancer journey,...

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Rally Good Meals: Feeding Childhood Cancer Families on Their Journey to the Bell

Rally Good Meals: Feeding Childhood Cancer Families on Their Journey to the Bell

by | Apr 9, 2021

Rally not only impacts the lives of children with cancer, but the lives of their whole families. I know this because I am the sister of a Rally Kid. My name is Catherine Barr. My sister, Sarah, was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma—a type of bone cancer—in 2009 at the age of 12. I was 11 at the time. Sarah fought bravely for seven and a half years. She passed away in 2016. Sarah was so gentle and kind, all while being the biggest nerd. She excelled in school and wanted to pursue a career in the medical field. Her family and her faith were the most important things to her. Despite the hardships she endured, Sarah remained joyful and selfless. She is my hero and inspiration. I am currently in my last semester at Georgia College & State University. When I found out I could select a nonprofit to work with for my senior capstone project, I knew it had to be Rally! I was thrilled to have...

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Helping Childhood Cancer Families Carry The Weight

Helping Childhood Cancer Families Carry The Weight

by | Dec 16, 2020

When you donate to Rally, you fund much-needed childhood cancer research—but there’s more to it. Childhood cancer changes EVERYTHING. It affects the entire family dynamic. It also changes the family’s support system. When your “new normal” includes multiple hospital stays and isolation to protect immune systems, relationships will naturally suffer. By giving to Rally, you help us stand beside families when they can no longer stand on their own. Brigitte is mom to Rally Kid Briley, who is beating acute lymphoblastic leukemia after 2.5 years of harsh treatment. Brigitte shared how childhood cancer affected their family—both personally and socially—and how Rally helped them carry the weight. Walking through a childhood cancer diagnosis feels like an invasion. If asked to describe it in a few words, I would say HEAVY, LIFE-CHANGING and HEARTBREAKING. Without our Rally family by our side,...

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How Rally Kid Lex Stays Positive While Battling Cancer During a Global Pandemic

How Rally Kid Lex Stays Positive While Battling Cancer During a Global Pandemic

by | Dec 9, 2020

What’s it like to be battling childhood cancer during a global pandemic? For Rally Kid Lex, who is undergoing treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), COVID-19 has presented a new set of challenges that no one was expecting. Cancer treatment was already hard enough—now Lex, along with countless other immunocompromised kids, has to take extra precautions to avoid getting sick. Why? Cancer treatment suppresses the body’s immune system, making kids like Lex more vulnerable to catching illnesses and making it more difficult for them to recover as well. These extra precautions haven’t been easy on Lex or his family. “When Lex was first diagnosed, we had the support of the community,” shared Lex’s mom, Ashley. “They would bring us meals and visit Lex, but when COVID hit, all of that stopped because we just didn’t know what was safe and what wasn’t.” The concept of social distancing...

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Families

Gus’ Journey Through Cancer

Gus’ Journey Through Cancer

by | Jul 6, 2021

Gus, my 4-year-old son, was chasing me down the stairs on our way to the basement for our early morning workout. This particular morning, Gus jumped from the stairs onto the floor and took an extra step. Something seemed off, but he didn’t complain after he landed, so we moved on with our day. That afternoon, Gus complained about pain in his leg when his mom, Heidi, picked him up from preschool. But by that evening, he was running around again. The following morning, he was limping, though not...

read more
Cleaning Out the Medicine Cabinet

Cleaning Out the Medicine Cabinet

by | May 12, 2021

17 BOTTLES A few weeks ago, I cleaned out the medicine cabinet. That doesn’t sound super exciting, I know, but I threw away 17 bottles of expired chemotherapy and cancer related medications. Last year, these bottles were strung out across our counter at all times ready to be administered to my daughter Lexy every 4-12 hours. A lot has changed in a year. BACK TO “THAT” PLACE I’ve been reminded that fear can strike at any time. I had tried to clean the medicine cabinet after Lexy’s port removal...

read more
Rally’s Counseling Program: Healing Childhood Cancer Families on Their Journey to the Bell

Rally’s Counseling Program: Healing Childhood Cancer Families on Their Journey to the Bell

by | Apr 28, 2021

The childhood cancer journey takes an emotional and psychological toll on the whole family. For this second post in the Journey to the Bell blog series, I had the privilege of speaking to Rally Kid Briley’s mom about the positive impact of Rally’s Counseling Program. Briley was 7 when she was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia—the most common type of blood cancer found in kids. Her diagnosis date of April 11, 2018 was also her brother’s 11th birthday. Even though Briley finished...

read more
Rally Good Meals: Feeding Childhood Cancer Families on Their Journey to the Bell

Rally Good Meals: Feeding Childhood Cancer Families on Their Journey to the Bell

by | Apr 9, 2021

Rally not only impacts the lives of children with cancer, but the lives of their whole families. I know this because I am the sister of a Rally Kid. My name is Catherine Barr. My sister, Sarah, was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma—a type of bone cancer—in 2009 at the age of 12. I was 11 at the time. Sarah fought bravely for seven and a half years. She passed away in 2016. Sarah was so gentle and kind, all while being the biggest nerd. She excelled in school and wanted to pursue a career in the...

read more
Helping Childhood Cancer Families Carry The Weight

Helping Childhood Cancer Families Carry The Weight

by | Dec 16, 2020

When you donate to Rally, you fund much-needed childhood cancer research—but there’s more to it. Childhood cancer changes EVERYTHING. It affects the entire family dynamic. It also changes the family’s support system. When your “new normal” includes multiple hospital stays and isolation to protect immune systems, relationships will naturally suffer. By giving to Rally, you help us stand beside families when they can no longer stand on their own. Brigitte is mom to Rally Kid Briley, who is...

read more
How Rally Kid Lex Stays Positive While Battling Cancer During a Global Pandemic

How Rally Kid Lex Stays Positive While Battling Cancer During a Global Pandemic

by | Dec 9, 2020

What’s it like to be battling childhood cancer during a global pandemic? For Rally Kid Lex, who is undergoing treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), COVID-19 has presented a new set of challenges that no one was expecting. Cancer treatment was already hard enough—now Lex, along with countless other immunocompromised kids, has to take extra precautions to avoid getting sick. Why? Cancer treatment suppresses the body’s immune system, making kids like Lex more vulnerable to catching...

read more

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